The article from which this quote comes is about the White House’s “White Paper” on targeted killings and drones but its wisdom applies across the board. As the government becomes more and more secretive (as in the kill list, drone strikes* and its deliberation on approving (or not) the Keystone XL pipeline, for example), the less, obviously we know. And as those things happen under the ever-creeping tendency of our government to side with the corporatocracy and against the people, leaks become more and more important. We have a right to know what our government is doing because after all, it works for us and if it won’t tell us so we can hold it accountable, we need leakers who will.

Hey, I get that the Los Angeles Police Department is scared and on edge what with Christopher Dorner on the loose but supposedly they’re trained not to go insane, like this:

Christopher Jordan Dorner (Image via LATimesBlogs.LATimes.com)

Police Seeking Dorner Opened Fire in a Second Case of Mistaken Identity

David Perdue was on his way to sneak in some surfing before work Thursday morning when police flagged him down. They asked who he was and where he was headed, then sent him on his way.

Seconds later, Perdue’s attorney said, a Torrance police cruiser slammed into his pickup and officers opened fire; none of the bullets struck Perdue.

David Perdue (Image via LATimes.com)

His pickup, police later explained, matched the description of the one belonging to Christopher Jordan Dorner — the ex-cop who has evaded authorities after allegedly killing three and wounding two more. But the pickups were different makes and colors. And Perdue looks nothing like Dorner: He’s several inches shorter and about a hundred pounds lighter. And Perdue is white; Dorner is black.

“I don’t want to use the word buffoonery but it really is unbridled police lawlessness,” said Robert Sheahen, Perdue’s attorney. “These people need training and they need restraint.”

“These people need training and they need restraint.” Ah, yeah. Perdue is one lucky guy. What’s with the police not taking just a few more seconds to get a good look at him and see that he is a skinny white guy?

Again, supposedly they’re trained to handle these incredibly stressful situations and not just go off half cocked. Then again, maybe not.

Last November voters in Colorado (where I live) legalized growing and possessing up to one ounce of marijuana by people 21 and over.

As someone who grew up under laws that could land a person in prison for as much as ten years for possessing one ounce of pot, I’m watching this whole legalized-weed thing with delight and a sense of humor. In my opinion, it’s about time we quit spending untold millions of dollars busting, prosecuting and imprisoning people for using it.

So I cracked up this morning when I saw this article in our local newspaper:

(Image via THCUniversity.com)

Class Offers Basics on Pot Growing

A healthy marijuana plant should have lots of shoots, healthy roots and plenty of leaves.

But the more than 20 people Saturday who attended THC University’s first class, Growing Marijuana 101, learned that growing a healthy and fruitful marijuana plant is far from easy.

The sold-out class offered students the basics of growing marijuana at home, including information about watering, proper lighting, different containers and optional accessories. At the end of the five-hour class, students had the option of touring the growing operation at the Denver dispensary Karmaceuticals.

THC University co-founders Matt Jones, 24, and Freeman LaFleur, 25, said they had been looking for a way to enter the industry for the past couple of years.

“When Amendment 64 passed, we saw this industry that is going to go boom and no education to go with it,” Jones said.

Under Amendment 64, people 21 and older in Colorado can legally use and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana and grow up to six marijuana plants.

Check out THC University’s website. It bills itself as “Colorado’s Premier Cannabis Certification Destination.” They offer a “Budtender Certification,” an “Indoor Grower Certification” and a “Master Indoor Grower Certification.” Wow. I never thought it’d see such a thing.